Google News sitemap support

[Andro]

Hi,

Google has been giving more preferences/importance to Google News articles/posts lately like they show news above search reaults, especially trending ones. Since XF has no AMS/CMS system can atleast the native sitemap handler extended to do submission into Google News so if we define a forum section where we publish quality content and Google approves our Google News submission all threads posted into it would be auto submitted to Google News?

Google official documentation for references:

Create a News Sitemap | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers

Learn how to create and submit a News sitemap by reviewing the requirements, example entries, and news-specific tag definitions.

support.google.com

I believe if the native sitemap handler supports Google News sitemap submission, XF add-on developers can easily extend it to support their add-ons as well. @Bob's AMS add-on can take benefit of it.

Thanks

 

[JoyFreak]

I am all for this. +1

 

[Chris D]

How many of our customers have had their site approved for Google News submission?

Note that a Google News sitemap isn't a requirement for being on Google News, but for a Google News sitemap to have any effect you would need to be included in their news index.

News content across Google - Publisher Center Help

News experiences across Google are built to help users easily find news from a diversity of sources so they can stay up-to-date and informed on the stories that matter most to them.

support.google.com

If there are a significant number of customers who require it, then we'd consider it. But otherwise I don't believe it would be worth it.

 

[Alpha1]

I have wanted to have this for a decade. Google News is an attractive source of readers for websites that host articles.

 

[Chris D]

You don't need a Google News sitemap.

You need to be approved by Google News. We cannot do anything to make that more likely to happen with a sitemap. Have you been approved by Google News?

 

[Alpha1]

My site was indeed. But this was quite some time ago and without a sitemap, there was little point to it. I think technical requirements have changed since then.

 

[Andro]

Have seen many popular sites do run a wordpress blog as front site and they are already approved for Google News. Incase they get Google News submission for forums they can make a section and allow only quality content and can publish those content to Google News. I can see actual benefit of it. Google pushes it as Chrome feeds, sending push notifications through Google Discover & News apps. If you have quality content, you have more chances of getting approved on Google News, more audiences who follow specific news categories over Google will find you and might settle themselves on your site.

Quality content is the king and unless you don't have them this make little to no value. But if many popular/trusted XenForo sites end up featuring at Google News new site owners will care about content as Google isn't going to approve them with 500 stupid threads/news daily but with 50 quality news a week can do some magic.

And, i can imagine HUGE benefit of this IF XenForo considers launching an AMS/CMS kind add-on officially one day!

An option for Google News sitemap submission can also further motivate admins to take their forums to next level as traffic will increase.

 

[AndrewSimm]

Apologies for bumping an old thread...

I just got approved for Google News and wanted to follow up with others and see what you are doing in XF to optimize this.

I am working on a new articles system that will replace the one I currently use (both are custom). Adding article entries into the sitemap is pretty easy, but I don't see a way to create a separate sitemap. Obviously XF is just a forum, so no real reason the box product would need a separate sitemap or capabilities to create one.

I guess my question is, what are others currently indexed by Google News doing?

@Alfa1, sounds like you are indexed and have looked at this a lot.

 

[JoyFreak]

Apologies for bumping an old thread...

I just got approved for Google News and wanted to follow up with others and see what you are doing in XF to optimize this.

I am working on a new articles system that will replace the one I currently use (both are custom). Adding article entries into the sitemap is pretty easy, but I don't see a way to create a separate sitemap. Obviously XF is just a forum, so no real reason the box product would need a separate sitemap or capabilities to create one.

I guess my question is, what are others currently indexed by Google News doing?

@Alfa1, sounds like you are indexed and have looked at this a lot.

I applied for google news but didn’t get approved. I wonder what you’ve done to get approved?

 

[shimspedy]

I applied for google news but didn’t get approved. I wonder what you’ve done to get approved?

that's because your site is not a news site its a message board. I would suggest you recheck their TOS

 

[AndrewSimm]

I applied for google news but didn’t get approved. I wonder what you’ve done to get approved?

You don't post articles frequent enough and your article authors are not real names. This are two reasons that I see right off the bat.

 

[JoyFreak]

Has anyone been able to integrate a Google News sitemap with XenForo? Could really do with someone helping me set it up.

 

[AndrewSimm]

Has anyone been able to integrate a Google News sitemap with XenForo? Could really do with someone helping me set it up.

My site appears in google news, though I don't remember how exactly I submitted the XML. I do remember that the site had to be approved and it was on the second try that I was approved. I also add separate article links into my sitemap and somehow google knows which link to grab. I expect I probably told it which one at some point in time.

 

[Gsk8]

I've been in Google News for a while and have been thinking about merging WP with XF. So I have the same question before I do that? I don't want to lose my spot